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Angewandte Chemie - International Edition Impact Factor 16.9: Publishing Guide

Germany's most prestigious chemistry journal: where novel methods and mechanisms meet rapid publication.

16.9

Impact Factor (2024)

~8%

Acceptance Rate

~30 days to first decision

Time to First Decision

What Angewandte Chemie Publishes

Angewandte Chemie is one of the highest-impact chemistry journals, published by Wiley. It emphasizes broadly significant chemical discoveries - synthesis, catalysis, chemical biology, and materials chemistry. The journal values rapid communication of important findings, making it preferred for time-sensitive methodological papers.

  • Novel synthetic methods with broad applicability and mechanistic insight
  • Catalytic discoveries enabling new classes of transformations
  • Structural or mechanistic studies providing fundamental chemical understanding
  • Chemical biology innovations bridging chemistry and biology
  • Green chemistry advances with environmental or economic significance

Editor Insight

Speed matters in chemistry. If you discover something important, you want it published fast so the field can build on it. That's where Angewandte Chemie excels. But speed doesn't mean lower standards. We expect complete mechanistic understanding and broad synthetic scope. The papers that get published are the ones where authors have genuinely figured out a new way to make molecules or understand chemistry. Show me you understand your discovery deeply, and show me it works broadly, and we'll get your paper out in record time.

What Angewandte Chemie Editors Look For

Immediate and practical significance

Angewandte Chemie wants chemistry that matters right now. If your discovery will change how chemists approach a problem, that's publication-worthy.

Novelty without requiring deep expertise to appreciate

Unlike specialty journals, Angewandte Chemie reaches broadly across chemistry. Your discovery should be understandable and valuable to chemists outside your narrow subdiscipline.

Speed of review as a publishing advantage

Angewandte Chemie reviews and publishes fast (often 60-90 days total). This makes it ideal for methodological papers where speed-to-publication matters for priority.

Generality and scope for methods papers

If you've developed a new reaction, show it works on 15+ diverse substrates. Demonstrate that your discovery isn't just an oddity but a broadly useful transformation.

Mechanism and understanding

Why does your method work? Computational studies, kinetic measurements, or spectroscopic evidence of reaction intermediates strengthen the submission.

Green chemistry credentials when relevant

If your method is more sustainable than alternatives, highlight it. The chemistry community increasingly values lower toxicity, reduced waste, and environmental impact.

Why Papers Get Rejected

These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Angewandte Chemie's editorial review:

Limited substrate scope for methods papers

Showing a new reaction on only a few examples isn't enough for a top journal. Demonstrate generality with 10+ diverse substrates covering different functional groups.

Insufficient mechanistic investigation

Angewandte Chemie expects understanding. Include kinetic data, intermediate characterization, or computational studies supporting your mechanistic proposal.

Obscure or impractical applications

If your discovery only applies to exotic molecules or requires extreme conditions, it won't interest broad chemistry. Make the practical relevance clear.

Poor comparison to existing methodologies

Why is your discovery better than what's already known? Comparison by yield, selectivity, cost, sustainability, or enabling new transformations is essential.

Submitting without adequate optimization

Angewandte Chemie expects optimized reactions with reproducible results. If you're still tweaking conditions, submit later when the method is fully developed.

Weak characterization of new compounds

Complete NMR, MS, and IR data for all new compounds is non-negotiable. Don't rely on LC-MS alone. Full characterization is expected.

Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?

The quick diagnostic reads your full manuscript against Angewandte Chemie's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.

Run Free Readiness Scan →

Insider Tips from Angewandte Chemie Authors

Angewandte Chemie reviews exceptionally fast for a top journal

30 days to first decision is typical. This is much faster than Nature or JACS. If speed matters, Angewandte Chemie is your choice.

Supporting Information is extensively reviewed

Your SI must have complete experimental procedures and characterization data. Reviewers will request missing spectra or procedures. Get ahead of this by being thorough.

Visual presentation helps - use high-quality schemes and figures

Angewandte Chemie is visually sophisticated. Clear reaction schemes, well-organized tables, and high-resolution structures make papers more likely to be read and cited.

Highlight green chemistry whenever possible

If your method uses water, room temperature, renewable feedstocks, or produces less waste than alternatives, emphasize these. Angewandte Chemie values sustainability.

DFT calculations strengthen mechanistic proposals

Computational support for your mechanistic claims makes the paper much stronger. Even simple DFT models improve acceptance probability.

Communication format is faster but accepts fewer papers

Angewandte Chemie Communications go even faster (sometimes 20-30 days) but have ultra-high selectivity. Regular Articles are often easier to publish.

International authorship strengthens submissions

Angewandte Chemie is German but genuinely international. Having collaborators from multiple countries may slightly increase competitiveness.

Pre-print servers are fine - Angewandte Chemie accepts submitted preprints

Unlike some older journals, Angewandte Chemie welcomes preprints on arXiv or ChemRxiv. This doesn't affect novelty assessment.

The Angewandte Chemie Submission Process

1

Prepare complete manuscript

Preparation phase

Research article with abstract, introduction, results & discussion, experimental section, and supporting information. Include detailed experimental procedures, characterization data, and spectra for all new compounds.

2

Submit via Wiley submission portal

Submission step

Choose between full Article or Communication format. Articles are 8,000-12,000 words; Communications are 3,500 words and focus on single major finding. Suggest 3-4 reviewers; note any conflicts.

3

Editorial screening

2-3 days

Angewandte Chemie editors screen for scope and quality fit. Most in-scope submissions pass through to review. Desk rejections are uncommon (~5-10%).

4

Rapid peer review

20-30 days for reviews

2 expert reviewers assess novelty, significance, generality of scope, mechanistic understanding, and practical utility. Angewandte Chemie has efficient reviewer engagement - reviewers typically return comments within 2-3 weeks.

5

Editorial decision and revisions

7-14 days for author revisions

Decision made within 2-5 days of final review. Minor revisions common; major revisions possible. Revised papers typically don't go back to reviewers unless substantial changes are requested.

6

Acceptance and rapid publication

2-3 weeks to online publication

Fast processing through production. Online publication typically within 2-3 weeks of acceptance. Print issues follow monthly.

Angewandte Chemie by the Numbers

2024 Impact Factor(Clarivate JCR 2024)16.9
5-Year Impact Factor17.1
CiteScore (Scopus)34.2
Submissions per year~7,500
Overall acceptance rate~8%
Desk rejection rate~5-10%
Post-review acceptance~12-15% of reviewed manuscripts
Median first decision~30 days - fastest among top journals
Median acceptance to publication~40-60 days total
Founded(German publisher Wiley; international scope)1868
Publication frequencyWeekly
ISSN1433-7851

Before you submit

Angewandte Chemie accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.

The pre-submission diagnostic runs a live literature search, scores your manuscript section by section, and gives you a prioritized fix list calibrated to Angewandte Chemie. ~30 minutes.

Article Types

Full Article

~8,000-12,000 words

Complete research reports with full experimental detail. Typically 8,000-12,000 words with figures, tables, and extensive supporting information.

Communication

~3,500 words maximum

Short, high-impact reports of novel significant findings. Fast review and publication. Rapid communication of time-sensitive discoveries.

Minireview

~5,000-7,000 words

Short reviews of emerging topics (usually by invitation). Occasionally accepts unsolicited minireviews on novel trends.

Landmark Angewandte Chemie Papers

Papers that defined fields and changed science:

  • Grubbs olefin metathesis catalysis - foundational work in modern synthesis
  • Gold catalysis breakthroughs enabling new C-C and C-heteroatom bonds
  • Photoredox catalysis transformations - green chemistry enabling drug discovery
  • C-H activation methodologies - direct functionalization without pre-activation
  • Asymmetric synthesis innovations - enabling scalable production of chiral pharmaceuticals

Preparing a Angewandte Chemie Submission?

Get pre-submission feedback from reviewers who've published in Angewandte Chemie and know exactly what editors look for.

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Primary Fields

Organic ChemistryInorganic Chemistry and MaterialsCatalysisChemical BiologyGreen and Sustainable ChemistryPolymer Chemistry